


White Coffee

by afterreign



Series: Tumbling Into Love [4]
Category: UTAU, Vocaloid
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-09
Updated: 2014-08-09
Packaged: 2018-02-12 09:57:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2105412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afterreign/pseuds/afterreign
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story of a not so bitter cup of coffee and a not so sweet rejection. Sequel to 'Black Coffee' and the answer story to 'Birthday Wishes'.</p><p>alternatively: Miku finally says her piece, and it's not very pretty.</p><p>(Not looking me in the eye again, she instead glared at the floor. "... But if he's like black coffee, I'm like coffee filled with the wrong kind of creamer...")</p>
            </blockquote>





	White Coffee

**Author's Note:**

> MY GOAL WAS 1,000 WORDS, NOT 3,000+...
> 
> At the very least, I got a prompt done from the writing trade I'm doing with my friends.
> 
> This fic was supposed to be an answer fic for 'Black Coffee', but in all honesty, it became the answer to 'Birthday Wishes', too. So, this fic is related to all of my modern AU Miku/Piko fics! This fic takes place after 'Tumbling In Progress', 'Black Coffee', 'Birthday Wishes', but before 'Video Games Addicts Can Chant, Right?' If anything, all you really need to read is 'Black Coffee' and 'Birthday Wishes' to get the story.
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy! Please tell me if you see any mistakes, and I'll fix them right away!

"You're..." I drawled off, looking at the turquoise-haired girl's nervous face, "... staring too hard at that cup of coffee."

At the sound of my voice, she almost jumped out of seat. "Eek!"

"Sorry for scaring you, miss—" I cut myself off, almost forgetting that she wasn't just a normal customer. "... Miku."

Looking up from her mug, the look on her face brightened up the moment she saw me. It made my heart jump a little. "Poiyo! It's been a while!"

"... You came here on my shift last week, remember?" I reminded her, adjusting my tie.

"Eheh, oh yeah!" She scratched her head in response. After setting down her cup on the coaster, she asked, "Are you on your break?"

"Yeah," I answered. Glancing at the seat on the opposite side of hers, I questioned, "Can I sit here, or do you not want me to...?"

A familiar grin made its way to her face. "Of course you can sit with me!"

The volume of her voice caused some of the customers to look our way, and I tried to stay calm at the sudden attention. ... It was easier said then done. Eyes glared holes through my head, and I glimpsed at the customers around us.

One of the Tawagoto Cafe regulars, Cul, took a sip of her beverage, scarlet eyes briefly focused on us. "Must be nice to be have that much energy, huh?"

"It's probably from the cake, Cul." The blond boy, no older than thirteen, right next to the other stranger nibbled on a blueberry fruit tart. "The cake is pretty good here, after all! Actually, everything is really good here..."

I would have bothered myself to eavesdrops on more conversations, but my break wasn't that long enough to do so. Trying to ignore the strangers' looks, I quickly sat down in front of her. I smoothed out my uniform and decided to make small talk. "... How are you?"

"I would say I'm good, but," she paused, showing a troubled expression, "I'm actually a little frustrated."

... That wasn't like her to say something like that.

Growing a little concerned, I suggested, "If you're worried about something, you're welcome to talk to me about it. ... Unless you don't want to."

There it was again, that genuine smile. At the sight of her happy expression, it made me want to smile, too.

... Although, I had heard from my coworkers that my smile didn't really look like a smile.

"You're really sweet, Poiyo!" she replied joyfully, clasping her hands together. "Thank you so much!"

With that, she bowed her head to me, and it felt like I was in the middle of a heat stroke at that moment. I lowered my voice and muttered, "It's no problem, but if you keep bowing your head like that, customers will really think this is a host club."

Her head shot up as fast as the speed of sound, and the color pink was dusted over her cheeks. She apologized to me, a little bashful. "Oops! Sorry about that!"

Before she could go on another apologizing fest of hers, I went back to our previous topic. "Is anything... bothering you?"

Getting back on topic made her avoid eye contact with me. The vibrant customer began to mumble incoherent words. "I... gift for... can drink coffee... be together... first meeting... anniversary..."

"... I couldn't make really make out what you said." I stated, blunt with my words.

She waved her hands in front of my eyes in embarrassment, her energy still intact. "Oops! S-sorry about that! ... Um, to start off with, I'm having trouble with writing..."

"Is there something wrong with your hand?" I pointed to one of her hands as I rested my head on the table.

"Nope! Not at all!" Miku shook her head at that, making the letter 'x' with her arms to emphasize her answer. "... I'm just writing a song."

"... For what?" I asked, a little bit curious.

"My sixth friendship anniversary with Piko!" she boomed with excitement, throwing up her arms.

More eyes began darting our way, but I pretended that I didn't notice. "Piko, huh..."

"Yep!" my friend answered energetically as she nodded her head. "He's one of my best friends! I told you about him, right?"

"You did," I confirmed, covering my mouth to prevent a yawn. "He... seems like a nice person."

"He is! He's really kind, caring, and considerate for others! We get along so well, and that's why we're best friends! ... Although he calls me stupid, he really does a lot for me, and that's why I'm grateful for meeting him!" As she said this, she smiled at the mug in front of her. "So, I'm going to make him the best song in history and be the best black coffee drinker ever!"

"... How does black coffee have anything to do with this?" I voiced in wonderment.

"Well, you see, Piko absolutely loves black coffee!" the younger one exclaimed, her teal eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "He especially loves this place's coffee, but as for me... The last time I drank black coffee here, I got a stomach ache." Miku made a face and held her stomach in memory of her pain.

"So, I want to be able to drink black coffee! Because he's been busy with things, I have time to practice drinking all of the bitter cups of coffee I need!" she continued, determination obvious in her tone. "If I'm able to tolerate this type of coffee, I'll be able to hang out with him more! Like, I remember he said he would've invited me over for coffee on weekend mornings, but he didn't want to see me feel guilty about not drinking it. So... I can't let a drink come in the way of our friendship!"

I stayed silent, but that was because I was more confused than anything. I was sure that there was another solution to this problem, but how would I be able to calm down Miku's determination...? I knew that would be too difficult.

Not looking me in the eye again, she instead glared at the floor. "Piko... reminds me of black coffee. He's honest and sometimes bitter, but when you really get to know him, his personality is refreshing! When I'm with him, I'm awake, and excited, and jumpy like I had to much caffeine, and... all of that other good stuff! ... But if he's like black coffee, I'm like coffee filled with the wrong kind of creamer...

"When you drink that poorly made coffee, you expect it to be sweet and yummy, but really, it's disgusting and filled with disappointment. ... And that's just like me." As she said this, she fidgeted in her seat. Out of nowhere, I was reminded by how our first meeting ended, and I had the feeling that I didn't really want to see the look on her face. "When people look at me, they expect me to do great things, and I'm not exactly sure why. Is it because of my appearance? Do I give off the air of someone that'll change the century? Do they feel like I'll become the next Mozart or Einstein? ... It doesn't matter though. Once people see a glimpse of what I'm really like, they leave me all alone. ... They leave me like a half empty cup of coffee."

She started to grip her skirt tightly, and I opened my mouth to say something, but she beat me to the punch. "But he would never leave that cup of coffee unfinished! He would gulp it down and say something like, 'It tastes weird,' with a smile, and for that, I'm thankful... I want to repay him for all he has done for me!"

Finally, the girl with twin tails looked up at me again, a little teary-eyed. "So, um, thanks for listening to me, Poiyo!"

Not knowing what else to say, I whispered, "... You're crying."

As if she was in a hurry, she swiftly wiped away her tears, rubbing at her eyes. "Oops! Aha, sorry about that!"

An awkward silence filled Tawagoto Cafe. ... It seemed like everyone was watching us.

Not knowing or caring that people were staring at us like they were glued to a soap opera, she chirped, "Now, it's time for Miku versus black coffee! Let's drink this!"

Wouldn't that make her have a stomach ache again? Worried, I warned, "But—"

Before I could stop her, the happy-go-lucky girl knocked her head back and chugged down the black coffee gulp after gulp. People began chattering again, not watching us anymore, yet all I could hear was her slurping. After the drink was finished, the girl slammed the white mug back on the coaster, and I was positive that she shattered the cup, but shockingly, she didn't.

The teal-haired girl made a face, but it wasn't one of disgust. Tilting her head to the side, she wondered out loud, "Why does it taste different...?"

"Yokune let someone else make the coffee today," I disclosed, sitting up straight again. "Yokune wanted to try to make... a flower-shaped apple pie, I think? Anyway, she's getting lessons from Shion on how to do that, so someone else made the coffee."

"Hmm..." She had a satisfied expression on her face and gently laughed, "It tastes a little bitter, but it doesn't taste half bad!"

I sighed in relief, happy to see that she didn't look like she was going to vomit. "Ah, that's reassuring..."

"Reassuring?" A quizzical expression formed on her face, and I began to get out my chair.

Standing up after most of our conversation was over, I held back another yawn. "... It's nothing."

All of a sudden, one of my coworkers, Kagamine, popped behind the kitchen's doorway and shouted, "Poiyo, your break ends in five minutes! We need help with the fruit tarts, so come back here soon!"

"Got it!" I yelled back at Kagamine, nodding at him. After he left, I turned my attention back to Miku and said in a monotone voice, "Well... I have to go back now. ... Take care, Miku, and good luck on your song writing."

"Uh, wait!" Her voice stopped me before I had the chance to turn my back on her. "Can we talk a little for a few more minutes... outside?"

* * *

_"U-um, I apologize for not giving you a proper answer sooner, but... I can't be in a romantic relationship with you._

_"I know, it must be terrible to know that your first love isn't reciprocated, but I think it would be worse if I dated you when we didn't hold the same feelings for each other..._

_"You didn't do anything wrong, of course! You're kind and sweet, and you even helped me out! ... Although, I sort of forced you to hang out with me..._

_"But... I don't think I can date you. We suddenly knew a lot about each other in a day, but I don't think that means we can instantly be together forever.  
_

_"I saw your facial expression when you gave me that flower, and I knew it meant something. Something important. Yet, I didn't want to face your confession just yet, so I pretended that I thought you were giving that flower to me to be kind. ... I only gave you that basil flower to tell you I understood you... and because I felt bad for turning a blind eye to your confession.  
_

_"Eheh, I must seem like a terrible person to you... talking to you about my personal problems and then rejecting you... I'm really sorry...  
_

_"I still want to be your friend! You mean a lot to me, and I would hate to see you hurt! ... Even though I'm hurting you right now..._

_"Being in love is very painful, and... I know from firsthand experience. I'm still stuck on my first love, after all... I'm sorry, again. So, please, find someone better than me._

_"Poiyo... I give you my best wishes."_

It was a misunderstanding upon another misunderstanding, but her words still hurt either way. I gave her the lilac as a gift, yet it really did turn out to be a confession in the end. She thought I was confessing to her on the spot, and I was painfully rejected as a result.

... Ah, my heart hurts a little.

I wonder... Who's her first love?

Surely, it must be...

"Utatane," I called out to the newest worker, and he jumped up in surprise. Did I have a talent for scaring people...? "The tart you're making... It looks bad."

"I know that!" he retorted, his back still turned away from me. "It's just this stupid whip cream... God, why is it so hard to make it go on the center of the tart?"

He placed back the whip cream can on the counter and pushed his glasses up, only to groan soon afterwards. "And now I have a whip cream on my glasses. Wonderful."

His sarcasm made me want to cringe. Even though he was shorter than me and I shouldn't feel intimidated by his appearance, sometimes he would get so scary that Shion would hide behind me to protect himself. In reality, he was a nice person... He was just a little hard to deal with.

"Stupid tart... stupid uniform that makes me look like a butler... stupid disguise..." the silver-haired teenager listed, taking off his glasses and wiping away the whip cream on a nearby towel. It seemed like he was becoming more annoyed by the second.

"I don't you think you need a disguise to hide from... that girl." I shared my opinion with him, referring to Miku. ... He didn't know I met her before. Miku didn't tell him about that day for whatever reason, but I didn't want to pry. "Isn't fixing your hair, wearing glasses, and getting multiple ear piercings a little too extreme when you're here in the kitchen for most of the time...?"

"I only swept my hair to the side, so now one of my ears are more visible. It's not like I got a haircut," the younger male pointed out, cracking his knuckles after he put his black-framed glasses back on. "The glasses are fake anyway and the piercings... they're from a long time ago."

"Miku doesn't know about them, so I have a fifty percent chance that she won't recognize me. Plus, you could never be too careful," he stated in that matter-of-fact tone of his. Focusing back on the dessert in front of him, he cautiously asked, "So, uh, speaking of Miku... Do you think she liked the black coffee?"

"... She didn't look like she was about to puke when I walked by her table," I half-lied. It was true she didn't look like she was going to vomit, but I didn't tell him about sitting down and talking with her. I bet he would give me a nasty glare...

Utatane sighed in relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Thank god. Oh, and thanks for spying on her, Poiyo. I was a little worried."

"... Can I ask why you wanted to make the coffee today?" I questioned him, still curious on why he made a request like that.

"Well, I could tell she was somewhat sick from the black coffee on one of our visits her, but I don't blame her. Ruko makes really strong and bitter coffee," he remarked. Does that mean he's blaming Yokune instead...? "But, I really like Ruko's coffee. So, I tried to make my own coffee and when I did, I was about to invite Miku over to drink some... Until I remembered the look on her face after she chugged down that whole cup.

"So, uh, I want to make some black coffee that were suitable to her taste." As he said this, both of his ears turned red in embarrassment. "I'd like to spend mornings with her, drinking coffee... without her getting a stomach ache. As I'm working here now, I can both improve my coffee-making skills and earn money to buy her gift..."

I blinked and repeated, "Gift?"

"Len didn't tell you?" the male with the weird hair voiced his surprise. "That's shocking, considering how much he talks... Uh, well, the reason why I started working here in the first place was to earn money to buy some expensive album for Miku. It's going to be our sixth friendshp anniversary soon, so I guess you could say I'm killing two birds with one stone."

Squinting at him, I bravely asked, "...Are you grateful for meeting her, too?"

The newcomer froze in place before inquiring, "Too...?" When I didn't answer him, he heaved a sigh instead and replied with a stutter, "W-well, of course. She's done a lot for me and is practically my best friend, so... the answer is obviously yes."

Giving up on the tart, he whipped around and commented, "Anyway, shouldn't you _—_ "

Hie eyes went as huge as saucers when he saw me, like I was a ghost. The expression on his face told me something was wrong, as if stopping mid-sentence wasn't obvious enough. Cocking my head to the side in confusion, I questioned, "Is there something wrong with my face...?"

"You're... you're crying." The words I told to Miku were spilling out of his mouth, blunt yet sharp at the same time. Alarmed, I reached for face and felt a wetness on my cheek. The realization of my tears hit me like a ton of bricks, and I felt my vision blurring more than it already was.

"... I don't want to be a bother, but did something happen?" I don't know why, but the concern in his voice made me cry harder.

Tears streamed down my face as if I was sweating bullets through my eyes. I was gasping for air and grasping for words at the same time but doing both at the same time was getting more difficult by the second. I shielded my face from him even though it was obvious that I was crying, and I weakly muttered, "Got r-rejected... from, um... first l-love..."

"... Do you want to cry on my shoulder and talk about it?"

Even I had to say that I accepted his offer a little too eagerly, speaking of how I went from weeping alone to tackling him to the ground with much vigor. A deep groan and a string of curse words shot out of his mouth, but I buried my face in his shoulder like a kid wanting consolation from his mother.

And somehow, at the end of the day, I managed to say, "Thank you... Piko."

It was painful, this first love of mine. I knew I was no match to him, yet it was still hard to accept that as a fact. He made her smile on days when the two don't even speak a word to one another, and she did the exact same thing to him.

They were like coffee and sugar. One made the other a bit bitter while the second one made the first one a little sweeter. ... And the creamer would be their love for each other. There would be so much creamer that the whole drink might end up looking like milk. It'd be... white coffee.

...

... They must really love each other, huh.

It was... impossible. It would be even more painful to break them apart. I'd see tears instead of smiles and cries of pain instead of loving words, and I would really think that I made a mistake worse than murder.

...

The pain in my heart was still there, but I was a little glad. Glad that my wish didn't come true, after all.

And if I can be happy for them and see another one of her smiles...

... I think that's all I really need.


End file.
